Ad Sidera
by lolakilpatrick
Summary: Rey awakes and finds herself alone on Exegol. As she tries to regain normalcy in her new solitary life on Tatooine, something, or someone, keeps calling out to her through the force- and she realizes she may not be alone after all. Post-TROS, feasible "fix-it" fic, rated T for some suggestive romantic scenes, updates every two days or so.
1. Chapter 1

_**Rey awakes and finds herself alone after defeating Palpatine on Exegol. As she tries to regain normalcy in her new solitary life on Tatooine, something keeps calling out to her through the force- and she realizes she may not be alone after all.** Post-TROS, feasible "fix-it" fic, rated T for some suggestive romantic scenes, updates every two days or so. :) (Fic named after my favorite Reylo Playlist on Spotify, Reylo: Love Is the Balance by Spotify User 1182890446)_

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**one**

Rey awoke, shivering. Cold.

The ground beneath her was hard and abrasive, a million tiny rocks biting into her side. Her head was aching, and her hands felt red and raw. She felt cold below, and above and within, and she lifted herself up to re-orient herself. Darkness enveloped her where she lie, and she felt an unnatural urge to run away.

"Where am I?" she thought, glancing up at the darkening skies above Exegol. A smattering of stars started to emerge as the light faded. Rey glanced around the ruins of what had, only hours before, been a Sith stronghold. Jagged boulders lay strewn about, and the place smelled of smoke and jet fuel and death. "It's a haunted place now," she thought. With great strength, Rey lifted herself to her feet and took inventory of her injuries. She felt confused and disoriented and spun around, a name buzzing on her lips.

_Ben. _

She shouted out his name several times, in every direction. She shook her head, fighting back tears. "No, no, no," she whispered to herself, feeling the cold take over. She began to run, jumping over fallen rocks and downed walls, through the low hanging crevice towards the light. Outside the stronghold, she saw Luke's X Fighter and beside it, Ben's borrowed TIE fighter craft. She felt like her lungs were collapsing, and she fell to the dirt again, wrapping her arms around herself to keep herself together.

"Ben, no—"she shook her head again and glanced back towards the darkness. "Come back. Please. Please. Be with me."

The phrase was a mantra, and she repeated it through muffled cries. Her throat ached and her vision was blurry through tears. "You can't be gone," she thought. "How is that possible?"

Rey wondered if she could still communicate with Ben through the force. Her heart beat faster with dread and she stopped herself before attempting to connect. She couldn't bear the possibility of silence on the other end, or the idea that the dyad was broken- that she was alone again, for good. No, she had to focus on what was before her- getting back to Ajan Kloss, to her friends, to what was left of the resistance.

They had won.

Her left rib was buzzing with energy and warmth, where Ben had revived her. She laid her hand there and took several deep breaths, trying to center herself. Her hands were shaking, from the cold or from something else. Shaking away the thoughts, she approached the craft and took one last look at Exegol. Rey climbed into the X Fighter and took off, a sense of longing clouding her mind and memory. The brief flight was a blur; she re-visited their final moments together over and over again, going through every touch and word in sequence, as though it could disappear at any moment, like him. She gingerly placed the emotions and breathless dread aside in her mind and focused on the fact that the Sith were no more, the resistance had won and peace had been restored in the galaxy. She had discovered her past, her lineage, and had overcome it all.

"It's over," she repeated, like a prayer as she descended upon Ajan Kloss. The jungle planet shone bright green with vegetation and the air was sweet and humid and felt good on her skin. She swallowed an uproar of emotion and stuffed it down deep, throwing off her helmet and greeting Poe and Finn. Rey couldn't believe they were all here, alive- real survivors. She held them tight and continued to push away the darkness that threatened to envelope her.

"It's over." Finn echoed. "It's done. You did it, Rey."

Rey could only offer a smile, tears in her eyes. "We did it."

Poe nodded. "We did it." He and Finn exchanged smiles and embraced again. Rey glanced around to the remaining resistance fighters and shook hands and hugged the dozens of survivors. When asked what she was going to do next, Rey just shrugged. "I'm not sure."

No one questioned Rey when she told them she was returning to Tatooine- it was poetic justice, to return to the place where Luke started his journey. As she gathered her things, Finn approached the craft.

"You're not going to stay out there, are you? Tatooine?"

Rey looked Finn deeply in the eyes. "I'm honestly not sure."

Finn looked disappointed. "I never told you, Rey- but I-" he stammered, and looked away for a moment. "I think I'm force sensitive. So many things have happened, things I can't explain- just knowing things, or feeling things before they happen."

Rey nodded. "I know. I can see it."

"Well, I was hoping- I hope this isn't too much to ask," Finn started. Rey shook her head, urging him to continue. "I was hoping that you might-"

"Might what?"

"Might be able to train me- I don't know. To develop my abilities even more."

Rey offered a soft but tired smile. "I would love to, someday."

"Someday-"

"But not now," she finished. "First, I need some time to think and rest. Alone."

"Alone is all you've ever been. Rey, you should stay here for a little while." Finn motioned around the steamy jungle. "This place-"

"I know what this place is." Rey said, more forcefully than she meant to. "It's a place where Leia died, a place that reminds me of- of-" she drifted off, feeling something in the force. She saw Ben's ungloved hand, reaching out to her- a distant memory.

"Reminds you of what?" Finn asked impatiently.

Rey shook her head and returned to the conversation. "Just bad memories, that's all. I need to get away for a while, to think about my next steps- what's next for me."

"People have been talking, and they said you weren't alone with Palpatine on Exegol, that Kylo Ren was with you. You seem different- did something happen on Exegol?"

"It did. Kylo Ren helped me defeat Palpatine- before he died. He saved my life," Rey said, detached.

"Doesn't make up for all the terrible things he did," Finn remarked. Rey looked up at him and nodded. BB-8 beeped from the cockpit, urging her to depart.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him." She said dryly.

Without another word, Rey climbed into her craft and departed Ajan Kloss. She sped towards Tatooine, towards Luke's uncle's old moisture farm homestead. The two suns were setting as she buried Luke and Leia's lightsabers and looked on. A new name- Skywalker. The place was decimated by time and sandstorms, but it felt right occupying the dilapidated space. Rey found a mostly intact kitchen and sitting room which she converted into a small bedroom.

When night fell, she paced the room and fixed BB-8's broken panel with some spare parts lying around. She was trying to wait out the irrepressible and inevitable sadness that she felt incoming, but it didn't last long. The loneliness caved in and she wept, replaying her last moments with Ben. Her awakening, his kind and loving face, the kiss, him disappearing and her falling backward. Her fingers brushed her lips lightly- the kiss had been so sweet and tender, and she was proud that she initiated it. She privately admitted that there had been several moments between them like that- moments where a heaviness hung low, where their eyes met and they could both feel what the other was thinking, much to the frustration of the other. In the elevator a few months prior, Rey felt Ben's eyes on her lips and silently- angrily- dared him to kiss her. She could feel that they both wanted it, they were like suspended magnets, held in different directions, both diametrically opposed and attracted to one another. Being with Ben was like being whole- being complete, with another person who understood her unique motivations, fears and deepest desires. In the hut on Ahch-To, when their fingers touched, she briefly gained access to his mind, and he to hers. She had a vision of closeness, of warmth, of passion and darkened eyes and discarded clothing, his hands on her bare back, his lips locked on hers. Her face flushed hot and she felt breathless and naked and seen. He saw her thoughts too- and he didn't mock them, or even bring them up. They were merely millisecond long glances into the soul of the other, a reminder that she was wanted, desired even, and very much not alone.

And now he was gone, and she was alone again.

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_Hey all! Thanks again for reading! I haven't written Fanfiction in nearly 12 years so I'm a little bit rusty! After watching TROS, I realized how much of a Reylo fan I was, so I felt compelled to write this fresh, romantic, feasible and as-canon-as-possible fix-it fic! I hope for this to be a 10-15 chapter story!_

Music to Read To: "Reylo: Love Is The Balance" on Spotify by User 1182890446

_Lola_


	2. Chapter 2

two

Rey spent her first week on Tatooine examining and repairing the sand-flooded vaporators at the old Lars homestead. Her water supply was dwindling fast, and she was determined to get the moisture farm up and running so she could harvest water, and, later with some effort and skill, viable crops. The work was hard and exhausting under the twin suns; on the horizon, Rey swore she could see figures approaching her. She would squint and they would disappear, just another shiny mirage in the intense heat. Rey wiped her brow and strung up the translucent tarp that would help create a greenhouse effect within the harvesting space.

The heat brought about a sour mood and dark thoughts- Rey began to ruminate on her future on Tatooine. "This is it," she lamented to herself, breathing hard as she hoisted up the second corner of the tarp. "Surrounded by sand again, for the remainder of my life." She scolded herself, "Don't be so dramatic- I need to focus on what's in front of me right now- gathering water and getting the farm online."

She became lost in her work, until she grew bored- and then she thought about her last night on Exegol. Dying had been no work at all- it was a slow burn, a little fade to black. Then, suddenly, she was awake with Ben and he was cradling her in his arms. It reminded her of the first time they met- when he waved away her consciousness and he carried her away. Back then she didn't know what he looked like; she was shocked, even, when he removed his mask and she saw a face that was too compassionate to be so evil. Even in the interrogation room, there was a notion of softness- when he offered to teach her the ways of the force, she knew he went out on a limb to offer it to her.

She clung to the memories of Ben- she grinned when she thought of his sweet smile, his look of relief when she awoke, his strong hand resting on her stomach- after so much destruction, his hands brought forth restoration, life. She didn't hate him anymore- she didn't feel homicidal towards him; the pendulum had swung the other way, towards intense passion and regard, and longing, she was afraid to admit. When he fell backward and disappeared into nothing, she felt a part of herself disappear too. She gazed at the spot where he had lain and felt only confusion. Her thoughts had been muddled and strained and laced with grief.

_Ben, please - come back. Be with me. _

She remembered passing out afterwards, something happening in the background, but she couldn't retrieve it. Figures were huddled around her, someone's hand was on her face. On Tatooine, the edges around her vision darkened and she felt a lump in her throat. A wave of nausea and unpleasantness washed over her as her knees buckled and she fell to the hot sand below. The last thing she saw was a dark figure walking in her direction.

Then, nothing.

_Rey. _

The voice was strong and deep and had a hint of tenderness. Rey felt heat radiating from her forehead and sweat on her brow.

In her mind, she felt him- felt Ben- in the force. He felt impossibly far away, yet she raised her hand to the figure and cupped his face. She felt out of her body, like she was floating above herself. Ben, here in Tatooine. Now she could be home. She let a smile spread across her face and she said his name softly, like a mantra.

"Ben."

"Rey, wake up." A pair of hands shook her gently and she blinked several times, expecting the face of her friend, her dyad, her partner in the force- equally powerful and known, familiar even; yet mysterious and captivating all the same.

Finn shook her again, "Rey." Rey sat up quickly, blinking again. She looked up- the dual suns were setting. Finn was close to her, watching her carefully. Chewie was sitting in the sand beside her. He greeted her heartily and wondered why she was in the sand.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. Finn rolled his eyes and motioned to the official insignia on his coat.

"On official orders," he said placidly. "We need you back on Ajan Kloss."

Rey shook her head, feeling confused. "I only left a week ago, what is it?"

"Rey." Finn took a deep breath. "Everything doesn't just fall into place so easily after the war. There is a lot to do- economies to build, initiatives to start, safety to ensure. We need you for a special mission."

BB-8 rotated from Finn, to Rey, and back again, beeping urgently.

"Stop talking like that, General." Rey chuckled. "BB-8, I'm fine. Finn, you know I'm not good at building things- just tearing them apart." She gestured around the farm. "Trying to get this place put together has wiped me out- literally." She rose to her feet- Finn reached for her hands but she stood up on her own.

"Did you call me Ben?" Finn asked suspiciously.

"What?" Rey deflected. "What do you mean?"

Finn looked her up and down behind skeptical eyes. "You know what I'm talking about."

"I- just woke up, so I didn't know who you were."

"You expecting Ben Solo?"

Rey blinked a few more times, noting how bad she was at lying.

Finn's eyes looked haunted, like he had seen something he shouldn't. "Rey, have you— connected with him via the force?"

"He's dead," Rey remarked, "How could I?"

"I should get you to the Falcon."

"Why don't I follow you there, in the X wing? I can take myself, I don't mind."

"Official orders" Finn repeated, with less warmth. "I can take you back when we're done- that is, if you decide to return to this wasteland."

Rey followed him out into the flat nothingness. She playfully punched his arm. "Can you at least tell me what this is about? Please?"

Finn was silent until they reached the Falcon, in which he turned around and spoke under his breath.

"It has something to do with Exegol. Some portal, between the outer rim and the world between worlds. The council told Poe they think some old enemies may be hiding out there- they want your input." He took a deep breath. "That's all Poe would divulge to me."

"He's got you on a short leash," Rey remarked.

Finn offered a sheepish smile. "Soft spot for the guy, I guess. Plus he's told me that we may be able to construct a new Jedi temple on Ajan Kloss, where we could train Jedi someday. I'm holding onto hope for that one."

Rey smiled softly. "That would be lovely. Do you think it's a good idea?"

Finn stopped walking. "Well, of course- don't you?"

A moment flashed in front of Rey's eyes- a burning temple, a humming green lightsaber, and Ben- afraid and angry. She remembered the memories he had shared with her and now they had become her own. The only way forward was balance to the force- neither side could overtake the other.

Rey picked up the pace in front of him."It's nothing- it's just something Luke said to me."

"That's another thing, ahhh," Finn grimaced. "He really wouldn't want me telling you this-"

"What? What is it?" Rey searched his eyes, desperate for information. "Finn?"

Finn paused for a long time, looking out onto the horizon. He looked like he was internally debating.

"That planet, where Luke went to hide- w-what was it called?"

"Ach-To?" Rey said quickly. "What about it?"

Finn shook his head, regretting his words. "There's- a connection. To Exegol. Some portal- the two planets are connected. Like two sides of the same coin." He quieted and boarded the Falcon. "Poe can tell you more. I swear that's all I know."

Rey swallowed, thinking of the dark cave- the translucent portal, the coldness, the imploding darkness that Luke warned her about. A portal. To the world beyond worlds?

Rey resigned herself to a window looking out into the nothingness of space. Finn had offered her a seat beside him but she resisted. "I'm sorry, but I've got to rest." He tried to mask the look of disappointment on his face.

Rey tore through the few volumes of Jedi scripture that Luke had left her- she searched for information on the portal, on the world between worlds. The crumpled and musky books only offered a few passages on the subject.

Rey read silently to herself, "Portals may exist or appear when there is an imbalance in the force. They can be created by the Jedi or other light force workers. They may be naturally occurring-" she scanned through the pages and picked up another heavy leather bound book. "Exegol is a Sith planet that can only be found by a Sith Wayfinder- Exegol exists on multiple galactic planes-" she re-read the passage again, then once more. After sifting through the remaining texts, she gingerly placed them back in the safe and rubbed her temples.

"Rey!" Finn shouted from the cockpit. Rey stood up and ran, feeling the Falcon shake with enemy fire.

"What's happening?" she shouted.

"TIE fighters!" Finn exclaimed, "Cover me!"

Rey sprinted to the Quad Laser Cannon gun and punched in, blowing up two TIE fighters in sequence. Four more appeared out of nowhere- then vanished.

"What the hell was that?" Finn shouted. He descended quickly onto Ajan Kloss. Rey's hands shook with adrenaline. They had depleted the whole First Order fleet- how could there possibly be more TIE fighters?

And the way they disappeared...Rey closed her eyes, impulsively, and called out. "Ben!"

The room was dark, and Ben was on the other side. She knew it. She reached out her hand. "Ben, what is this?"

A hand took her own- it was warm. "Rey." His voice was smooth and dark and she knew it was him. Rey tried to pull him towards her, but he was held back by something.

"Ben, Ben please tell me where you are," Rey cried, feeling tears stream down her face. "Please."

"I'm still here, Rey- I'm- somewhere nearby."

"You have to give me more information than that, I have to find you-"

"I'm not sure if I can be found, Rey. I don't know where I am."

She grabbed his hand with her other hand and held it close to her face. "Don't leave me again."

"I appear to have won you over," he said with a chuckle. Rey's face seared red, and she loosened her grip.

"At least tell me what you see-" she said quietly.

There was a long pause, then he responded. "An ocean."

"REY!" Finn shouted a final time, shaking her awake. Rey opened her eyes and glanced around.

"Where did the TIE fighters go?" She exclaimed. "We've got to warn the others!"

"TIE fighters? Are you crazy?" Finn asked, legitimately. "What are you talking about?"

Rey felt her face- it was wet with sweat, and tasted salty. "Finn- I'm sorry- I"

"Please let me have the medics check you out. You're seriously disturbed."

Rey stood up in determination and furrowed her brow. "No, I'm not. I had a bad dream. I had a dream that we were being chased by TIE fighters."

Chewie roared in laughter at the ridiculousness of it all.

"Come on, we've got to get moving. Poe's waiting with the others." Finn said. Rey shielded her eyes from the sun and stepped onto the green planet once again. She looked back towards the Falcon, half expecting to see Ben standing there. He had felt so very close to her, she felt his hand and his presence, his warmth. She knew she had to get a grip, and reminded herself to calm down as she approached the General's tent.

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_Hey there! If you enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review! Reviews are very motivating and help me write faster. :) I just started a new job, but I'm trying to update this story twice a week or so. - Lola _


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